guitars

Four new Universal Audio effects distill greatest hits from larger UAFX devices, emulating the 1176 compressor, EMT 140 plate reverb, Lexicon 224 digital reverb, and Maestro Echoplex EP-3 at more accessible prices.

Authentic smooth-to-nasty drive tones. Adds beautiful body and sustain in clean settings. Intuitive controls.

Highest gain tones exhibit some sizzle.

$199

UAFX 1176
uaudio.com

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It’s been just a few years since Universal Audio unleashed the first UAFX effects. These ARM-processor-driven stompboxes borrowed algorithms from powerful plugins designed for Universal Audio’s Apollo interfaces. The authenticity and functionality of the UAFX pedals is impressive. But as potent and brimming with tone-shaping options as they are, they are also a significant investment—clocking in at just under $400 for a single pedal.

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Just some of the bits and pieces that make up a guitar.

Every detail that makes up a guitar contributes to its unique personality. Just like your friends.

One of the best things about being a guitarist is the people you meet and the friends you make along the way. Whether you’re a pro or a weekender, making music attracts a wide variety of people who share your passion for guitar and aren’t afraid to tell you about it. I’ve always been a fan of the swath of characters that wash up on the shores of guitardom, and to say that they can be interesting and entertaining is putting it mildly. It’s pretty certain that when you stop to think of the people you call friends, you’ll find that many are in your orbit because of the guitar. Maybe it’s because the guitar has so many facets and can slot into so many genres of music. It’s a bond that can last a lifetime.

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To stay afloat during the Great Depression, Gibson started manufacturing affordable entry-level guitars like this Recording King.

Faced with the early 20th-century economic crash, the major manufacturer innovated their way out of folding by introducing low-budget guitars like this Recording King.

You get good at letting go when you work in a guitar store. Special guitars come through the doors every day at Fanny’s House of Music. Customers come in and bond with them just as much as we have. And sometimes, old guitars find new homes. New strings touch old frets, new picks fall into old soundholes, and new songs float on old air. Knowing the joy these instruments bring in their next life makes it a little easier to let go.

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